“I cannot say enough about these tools”
My first encounter with Em Software was with the Xdata plug-in back in 1996. I was working for an advertising agency at the time and was seeking for a solution for a new client. So any leverage to win them was a plus. I discovered after a site visit that they were using a paper system to produce product labels. The client did not have a product database and the labels were hand set each time.
After extensive research online I came across Xdata, the automated solution for QuarkXPress. Now, what I was using the plug-in for was not mentioned in any of the documentation. Being the pioneer that I am I tried to make it work. And to my surprise it did. The results were astonishing. I created a push button tool to create product labels complete with CMYK colors, bar codes, symbols and product data. We won the client over and it was simple enough that anyone in the organization could use it.
Then a major opportunity for another project came up. Can we create a business card solution for our client that has over 10,000 employees? A similar idea as the label solution. This client learned during the process that their data structure was screwy. Final result—solved the database issues and created a streamline system for Human Resources.
I was really getting into to this plug-in to the degree I decided to go out on my own as a consultant. In 1998 I took on a business partner and we were on a roll.
After a very convincing sales pitch to a chemical reagents company, we were awarded several catalog projects. My client’s team was amazing surprised how much time they were saving over a course of two years.
Later on formed another company Designismylife in 2000, to provide automated print solutions to many design businesses, manufacturers and marketing departments.
Em Software’s plug-ins have been a part of my design career for which I am very grateful. Chris Ryland is a business genius and of course his team of experts. I cannot say enough about these tools. They have given me the freedom to pitch to clients with confidence that I have a solution right from the start. I still see redundant tasks eating away at designer’s creativity.
If I could say, there is only one problem, the product works so well that it intimidates people. I have been asked several times during presentations ‘what will happen to our design team.’
I simply reply, “They will now have the time to design with passion.”
—David M Bey, Creative Director, designismylife™
